The American Alligator
The large american alligator, is a feared animal in the wild. It moves as quickly on land as in the water.
The American alligator moves as quickly on land as it does in the water. This alligator makes his home in the warm wetlands and swamps of Florida, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama. He is the largest of all crocodiles in the United States.
The alligator spends its time in its habitat. An adult alligator will eat any thing he finds: some of his favorites are birds, turtles and snakes. Young alligators eat shrimp, frogs, and fish. Most of its meals ore found in the water, but alligators also hunt larger prey on land. These animals are grabbed and pulled into the river and drowned. Then he will eat them, by taking large bites and swallowing them whole.
The male and female alligators mate at night. The male defends his mate against other males. The breeding season is from April to May. The female lies from twenty five to sixty eggs. She will lay these eggs in a nest on the shore. She covers the nest to protect her young from various predators. The eggs will hatch in two to three months. When the young have hatched, they will squeal out, to let their mother know they have hatched. The female will uncover the nest; the young are born fully developed. They are about one foot in size. They will leave the nest and begin feeding on their own. They do not reach full maturity until about six years of age.
Once the American Alligator was an endangered species, but due to conservation efforts they are no longer an endangered species.